


Like a bad Greg Stump movie

by gottalovev



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Best Friends, Friendship, Gen, Huddling For Warmth, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark at MIT, broken leg, flashback to the 90s
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28940118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gottalovev/pseuds/gottalovev
Summary: This is not how Tony had envisioned his ski trip with Rhodey.(in MIT days!)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo Mark IV





	Like a bad Greg Stump movie

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fill for my Tony Stark Bingo Mark - IV card!
> 
> Name of Piece: Like a bad Greg Stump movie  
> Card Number: 4077  
> Name of Participant: Gottalovev  
> Square Number: S1 - Huddling for warmth  
> Rating: PG-13  
> Pairing: None. Tony & Rhodey  
> Warning: no archive warning apply, injury, hurt/comfort, friendship, huddling for warmth  
> Summary: This is not how Tony had envisioned his ski trip with Rhodey.

It takes every ounce of Tony's resolve not to cry out. Or whimper. God, that hurt. Tony pants, face down in the snow, trying to collect his wit. The cold against his forehead is grounding, which he desperately needs.

"Tony! Are you okay?"

Jim is close by, at least there's that. In fact, he's soon at his side and Tony thanks every God in the pantheon when Rhodey touches his shoulder and not his right leg.

"I've been better," Tony says through clenched teeth as he turns his head to look at his friend. 

"Where are you hurt?" Jim asks, pushing his goggles up on the top of his purple toque, wide eyes scanning Tony.

"Leg," Tony says, gesturing to the throbbing mass of pure pain. It's broken, he's sure of it.

"What?" Jim's voice then takes a breathy turn. "Oh, shit."

Tony risks a glance and… yeah, it's not pretty. It's not supposed to twist that way. 

"Oh my God!" 

The raising alarm in Jim's tone distracts Tony from his own misery. They've been roommates for a year and a half, and he's never seen Rhodey lose his cool. Apart from bitching at morons or stupid professors, but that's different. Jim is usually calm and level-headed when the situation requires it. Now? Not so much.

"Oh my fucking God!" he exclaims again, and Tony worries that Rhodey will hyperventilate. 

"It's okay-"

"Shush your mouth, this is not okay!" Jim says, pointing emphatically at Tony's injury. "Your leg! Is broken!"

"No shit." Tony got that memo with the way his boot is at an improbable angle, but more than that since it hurts like hell. "Calm down, James."

Jim takes a shaky breath in, but also collects himself, expression morphing from fearful to determined. 

"All right, all right. Sorry." 

Thank God. Tony doesn't have the energy to worry for Jim on top of his own fucked up situation.  
"That's my Rhodey," Tony says, letting his face fall down in the snow again. Maybe if he stays very, very still, it won't hurt so much. It's cold, though, and Tony shivers. 

"Okay, so we need to get you help." Rhodes pats Tony's side, looking for his pockets. "Where's that fancy-ass phone of yours?"

Tony groans in dismay. "In the room. Charging."

"Fuck!" Jim exclaims. 

Tony loves his Motorola MicroTAC flip phone, but the battery is shit. He's sure he could do better, and will speak to Stark Industries' R&D department about it as soon as he's back in the United States. Portable phones - that do not have to leave in a car - have a fantastic future, he's certain of it.

"See? You should have let me buy you one, too." 

Jim all but growls at that. 

"Tony-" he admonishes. 

Gifts have been a point of contention since they met. Jim's damn pride, once again, coming in the way of Tony giving him things that could be good for him. It frustrates Tony so much.

"Rhodey, Honeybear, I've told you-"

"And I want you to get in your stupid head that I'm not your friend for the presents and the money!" Jim exclaims.

"I got that, the millionth time you refused to let me pay for something." And Tony appreciates it, he really does. He has had 'friends' that just wanted the perks of knowing Tony Stark™, it happens, but it had been clear from the start that Rhodey wasn't like that.

"Sometimes I'm not sure you do," Jim says with a sigh. "When I agreed to go on a ski vacation, I thought of Kellington. Maybe Lake Placid."

Tony had been so excited that Jim had caved in for a trip that he'd gone all out, as he does when given the chance. A week in Verbier, in a luxury ski resort, including a private hot tub on the balcony. He knows no better way to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the Swiss Alps. 

"Come on, we've been having a good time, no?"

"Yes, until you did a terrible Greg Stump impression."

It's true. Tony shouldn't have left the proper ski slope to wander off-piste. He surely didn't see the rock that had him do a spectacular dive and put him in this dire predicament. Maybe, just maybe, he was trying to show off his skills a little. 

"Well, I did, and here we are."

"Is it only your leg? Are you hurt anywhere else?" Jim asks.

Tony is pretty sure he cracked a few ribs. But he feels it's unnecessary to disclose that fact and worry Jim more than he is.

"I hurt all over, but the leg's the worst," Tony says. Not a lie.

"Your head?"

"No, no, it's fine." Thank God. Dealing with a concussion on top of the rest would suck. "Okay, so I think the best is that you ski until you find a patroller. At worst, you'll need to go all the way down to the resort. They have snowmobiles and sleighs for situations like this."

"What? No." Jim says.

"No? What do you mean, no?" Tony says, craning his head up to peer at his friend.

Jim is scowling. "No fucking way."

"You've got the hang of it now," Tony says reassuringly. Rhodey is new at skiing, but he learned fast. From what Tony remembers, the slope is quite long but not too steep, which is why he chose it in the first place. "Go slow, it will be fine."

"I'm not leaving you alone and hurt in the woods," Jim says. "Nuh, huh."

"But-"

"No but." Jim says, getting up. "Where's your other ski?"

Tony gestures into the forest, which is his best guess. Both skis unclipped when he tumbled, and if one is right next to him, the other is nowhere to be seen from his face-in-the-snow perspective. 

"It continued without me."

Jim spots it, it seems. "Yeah, I see it. I won't be long."

Tony doesn't care about his missing ski, he's more concerned by his stupid broken leg. He's also tired of being on his belly. After a deep breath, Tony pushes on the ground to roll sideways, over his injured limb, in order to land on his back. It's probably the worst idea Tony has ever had in his entire life, and he cries out in pain. And blacks out for a few seconds. God, that was excruciating.

"Are you nuts! Oh my God!" Jim's hovering over him again, and the panic is back. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"Dunno," Tony says through clenched teeth. He thinks he might be sick. "Seemed a good idea at the time."

"You're a goddamn idiot!" Rhodey says. He approaches his purple mitten from Tony's face somewhat threateningly, probably pointing though Tony can't see it, which makes him go cross-eyed. "You shouldn't have moved, you probably made it worse."

"Oh, I'm sure of it," Tony says. He most certainly did.

"Shit." Jim touches Tony's leg, which makes him shout in pain. He tried not to, really, but it's so bad. Rhodey looks as if he's going barf. "Jesus. Why are you doing this to me?" he whines. "Okay, okay. So your foot is higher than your head, at least. I think that's good."

"Is it?" Tony asks. He is almost perpendicular to the slope, but it's true that his leg is slightly elevated. "Good thing I landed like this, then."

"It's fantastic," Jim says, voice dripping sarcasm. "Now don't move, understood? Not one inch! I'll be right back."

This time Jim's walking towards the ski slope, carrying Tony's skis and cursing under his breath about moronic roommates with a masochistic streak. He eventually stomps back, but he doesn't have his coat anymore.

"What?"

"Joke's on you, the monstrosity might be useful, after all."

Tony snorts-laughs. Okay, so buying Jim a bright yellow ski suit with lavender accents was a prank. He never intended for Jim to wear it! Tony had a perfectly fine looking suit in reserve that he'd give Jim after he'd had a laugh. But Rhodey made it a point of pride to accept the ugly coat, thanking him stiffly. Highly amused, Tony had not switched it for the nicer coat and pants, trying to call his bluff. 

"It was all planned," Tony says.

"Yeah, sure. I crossed the skis and put the coat on display too. It will grab attention if someone goes down the ski slope."

Tony had no idea that Jim knew about the signal for an accident. "Thanks. I still think you should go down-"

"I said no, Tones," Jim insists. He sits by Tony's shoulder and taps it. "Can you straighten up?"

It's hard, but Tony sits up a little. It allows Jim to slip his knee below him, so that when Tony lies back, he's on Jim's lap. 

"Thanks," Tony breathes out. 

"Are you cold?" Jim asks.

"Not so bad," Tony says. His own ski suit is of the onesie configuration, and sadly more about geometrical patterns than efficiency in winter settings. "But what about you?" The sun will set soon, and Jim doesn't have his coat anymore. It might get chilly for both of them, especially while directly in the snow like this. Thankfully, Jim is between Tony and the ground and he feels a little less frozen already.

"I'll be fine," Jim says firmly.

"But-"

"I have, like, four layers." Jim wraps his arms around Tony's shoulders. "Also keeping you close. We'll be okay. You know I've got you."

"Yeah," Tony breathes out. 

And Tony believes it, too. He lucked out when they matched him with Rhodey in student housing. Howard forced Tony to live in the dorms instead of paying for an apartment in what he believed was a punishment. It turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to him. Jim is exactly the ride or die friend Tony has dreamed about all of his life and never thought he'd have. 

"Thanks, buddy."

"Don't mention it. By the way, when you're patched up? I request a spa day."

Tony laughs. He was certain Jim would insist they go back to the campus and cut their vacations short. This is a fantastic surprise. 

"I promise."

"With hot rocks and everything!" Jim says.

"Whatever you want."

"What I want is for you to take it easy, okay? And get better soon." Rhodey says, patting his head.

"I'm going to be fine."

With Jim by Tony's side? It's a given.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> I've been doing this fanfiction thing for a long time, but I am a slow writer. This is work number 100 on my AO3, and I find it fitting that it's for my favorite friendship in the whole MCU ♥ (and maybe of my entire fandom life!)
> 
> Many many thanks to the lovely Kait for the beta ♥
> 
> Oh and for you old enough, I am sure you remember the ski fashion in the late 80's and early 90's (who could forget THAT!). For the youngins, have a look:
> 
> Now imagine Rhodey in yellow with a dash of lavender. You are welcome.
> 
> Also, for the title, ski movies were a thing, and Greg Stump made popular ones. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and know that I cherish kudos and/or more with my whole heart :)


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